Coreopsis plant named ‘Crème Brulée’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Crème Brulée’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded growth habit; very freely basal branching habit; narrow, lacy and bright green-colored foliage; very freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per plant; large daisy-type inflorescences; bright yellow-colored ray florets and darker yellow-colored disc florets; long flowering period; and relatively resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Coreopsis verticillata cultivar Crème Brulée.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant, botanically known as Coreopsis verticillata and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Crème Brulée’.

The new Coreopsis was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Mattituck, N.Y. in 1997, as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Coreopsis verticillata cultivar Moonbeam, not patented. The new Coreopsis was observed as a single plant in a group of flowering plants of the cultivar Moonbeam.

Asexual reproduction of the new Coreopsis by cuttings in a controlled environment in Mattituck, N.Y., since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Coreopsis are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Crème Brulée has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Crème Brulée’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Crème Brulée’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded growth habit.     -   2. Very freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Narrow, lacy and bright green-colored foliage.     -   4. Very freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per         plant.     -   5. Large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 4.5 cm in         diameter.     -   6. Bright yellow-colored ray florets and dark yellow-colored         disc florets.     -   7. Long flowering period.     -   8. Relatively resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Coreopsis are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Moonbeam. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Mattituck, N.Y., plants of the new Coreopsis differed from plants of the cultivar Moonbeam in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Coreopsis were more vigorous than plants of         the cultivar Moonbeam.     -   2. Plants of the new Coreopsis had brighter green-colored         foliage than plants of the cultivar Moonbeam.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Coreopsis were positioned at the         plant canopy whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Moonbeam         were positioned above the plant canopy.     -   4. Plants of the new Coreopsis had larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Moonbeam.     -   5. Ray florets of plants of the new Coreopsis were darker yellow         in color and had more emarginate apices than ray florets of         plants of the cultivar Moonbeam.     -   6. Plants of the new Coreopsis were more resistant to Powdery         Mildew than plants of the cultivar Moonbeam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Coreopsis, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Coreopsis.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical one-year old flowering plants of ‘Crème Brulée’ grown in the landscape in an outdoor nursery in Pennsylvania.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe pinched plants grown in Tolar, Tex. during the summer in an outdoor nursery under full sun and cultural conditions which approximate commercial practice. Plants used for the photographs and descriptions were grown as single plants in one-gallen containers and were about six months old. Measurements and numerical values represent averages taken from a group of flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Coreopsis verticillata cultivar Crème     Brulée. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Coreopsis     verticillata Moonbeam, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About one week at             temperatures of 23 to 29° C. Winter: About two weeks at             temperatures of 15 to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About five weeks             at temperatures of 23 to 29° C. Winter: About six to seven             weeks at temperatures of 15 to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial; upright and outwardly spreading;             mounding plant habit. Flowers positioned at the plant canopy             level.         -   Plant height.—About 34 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 37 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Freely basal branching, usually             two laterals will develop at every node. Pinching is not             required, however plants tend to be sturdier and denser if             pinched. Aspect: Initially upright, then outwardly             spreading. Length: About 33 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, single; sessile.             Length: About 8.5 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Narrowly             lanceolate to tri-lobed and deeply dissected; lacy             appearance. Apex: Acuminata. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             Brighter green than 147A; venation, similar to lamina.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, similar to lamina. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large daisy-type composite inflorescence form             with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences             borne on terminals, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray             florets develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences             persistent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             during the summer and through the autumn in Northeastern             Texas.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Individual inflorescences last             about one to two weeks.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Very freely flowering with more             than 100 buds and inflorescences per plant.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm; large. Depth             (height): About 1.2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 7.5 mm.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Shape: Roughly spherical. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2.2 cm.             Width: About 1.1 cm. Apex: Emarginate; deeply incised,             jagged. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Corolla tube             length: About 3.5 mm. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety. Aspect: Initially upright; when mature,             about 90° from vertical, perpendicular to peduncle.             Initially concave; when mature; mostly flat. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About eight arranged in a single             whorl. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 7A to 9A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 7A. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 6A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at the center of the             inflorescence. Shape: Tubular, flared at apex; five pointed             apices. Length: About 7 mm. Width: Apex: About 1.5 mm. Base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 64. Color: Immature: Close to 154A. Mature: Towards             the apex, close to 15A; towards the base, close to 154A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity: About eight arranged in a             single whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm at the             base. Shape: Narrowly deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; waxy.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: Very strong, wiry; flexible. Aspect:             Mostly upright. Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Between 144A and 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen quantity: Five per floret. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: More brown than 187A. Amount of pollen:             Moderate. Pollen color: 17A. Gynoecium: Present on disc             florets only. Pistil quantity: One per floret. Pistil             length: About 7.5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 9A to 12A. Style color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed/fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Compared to plants of other Coreopsis     cultivars known to the Inventor, plants of the new Coreopsis have     been observed to be more resistant to Powdery Mildew. Resistance to     pests and other pathogens common to Coreopsis has not been observed     on plants grown under commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Coreopsis have demonstrated     good tolerance to night temperatures as low as −20° C. and day     temperatures as high as 42° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named ‘Crème Brulée’, as illustrated and described. 